Multi-purpose electrical connector



Oct. 9, 1956 J. FRIED MULTI-PURPOSE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 22, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

2,766,433 1C6 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 MULTI-PURPOSE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Joe Fried, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to A. N. Anixter, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 22, 1953, Serial No. 332,612

Claims. (Cl. 339110) My invention relates to novel connecting means whereby electrical devices may be easily and quickly connected to sources of power, such as wall outlets or portable or fixed storage batteries.

The invention will be hereinafter described as applied to a 6-volt utility lamp by way of example, but it is to be understood that the connecting means of my invention are not necessarily restricted to such use.

An object of my invention is to provide novel connecting means of simple and strong construction whereby a utility lamp may be plugged into the dash of an automobile, or may be easily and quickly mounted upon the terminals of a battery, such as the commonly used portable 6-volt battery or the terminals of a transformer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel electrical connector of wide usefulness, and which is safe in use and of long wearing construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel electrical connector of the kind described, the several parts of which are kept in assembled condition when once mounted upon the leads of a device such as a utility lamp, thus avoiding the use of separable fittings which may be mislaid and lost.

The invention resides in the parts and combination and arrangement of the parts as more fully hereinafter described in detail in the accompanying specification and defined in the appended claims.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail description, and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in some of the forms I at present deem preferable.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective sketch showing the connecting means of my invention utilized to plug in a utility light into the dash of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section on line 22, Fig. 1, illustrating the connector means of my invention on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing my novel connector means associated with the terminal posts of a portable dry cell battery unit.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, of the connector means of my invention, but slightly modified in construction whereby the same may be connected to a dry cell battery unit in a different manner to that shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my novel connector means as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and connected to a transformer that is plugged into an electric wall outlet.

In Fig. 1 the numeral 1 indicates the connecting means or plug of my invention inserted into the opening commonly provided in the dash 2 of an automobile for the usual electric cigar or cigarette lighter. The plug 1 is connected by an insulated two-wire cable 3 to a hand held utility lamp 4.

The plug 1, shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2, comprises a housing of insulating material in the form of an elongated plug casing 5 provided at one end with an opening for the passage of the two wire flexible cord or cable 3, and interiorly threaded at the other end to receive an end closure 6 of insulating material. End closure 6 is provided with a contact strip 7 which is preferably drilled with a hole 8 for a purpose which will later appear.

A bowed spring 9 is soldered or otherwise secured at one end 10 to the end of the casing adjacent end closure 6, and at the opposite end 11 is soldered to one wire of the two wire cable 3. Spring 9 is outwardly bowed, and about midway of its length is wound into a loop 12, the inside diameter of the loop 12 being normally urged into position outside of the casing 5 by action of spring 9 when the casing 5 is removed from the lighter socket. The other wire of the two wire cable 3 is soldered to the terminal strip 7.

The spring 9 normally projects outwardly, at its central section through an elongate slot 13 in the side of elongated casing 5, and serves as one contact for the two wire cable 3.

The strip 7 is mounted in any suitable manner in end closure 6 and projects axially from one end of the casing as well as inwardly thereof, the other wire of the two wire cable 3 being connected thereto.

A clip 14 of the kind furnished with stamped out tongues 15', connecting the clip with one wire of the insulated two wire cable, is preferably used to connect the live wire of the two wire cable 3 to a terminal post of a portable battery 15 when such a source of E. M. F. is used.

The manner of using the plug 5 in the cigarette lighter socket of an automobile is shown in detail in Fig. 2 in which the socket for the lighter unit is shown at 16, the usual resistance wound heater unit having been removed.

Wire 17 from the car battery is connected to a tubular contact 18 mounted in an insulating block 19 clamped in the socket 16 while a ground wire 20 is shown connected to the socket 16.

Terminal 7, when the plug is pushed into the socket 16, engages in tubular contact 18, while spring 9 engages with the socket, thus completing a circuit to lamp 4 from the automobile battery.

In Fig. 3 the connector is shown mounted upon the terminals of the portable dry cell 6-volt battery 15 by the use of apertured terminal 7 and apertured clip 14.

In Fig. 5 the connector is shown mounted on the terminals of a transformer 21 by the use of apertured terminal 7 and clip 14, the transformer being connected by a plugin cord 22 to a wall outlet 23, and thus becoming the substantial equivalent of the 6-vo1t battery 15.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 difiers from that previously described, in that the apertured end terminal shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, is replaced by a solid terminal 24, the loop 12' of spring 9' being used to encircle and provide engagement with one of the terminals of the battery 15".

It will be evident that the connector or plug of my invention provides a useful device enabling an electrically operated device, such as a lamp, fan or the like, to be readily connected to various sources of E. M. F., but it is to be understood that various changes and modifications of the described embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as intended to be defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A multi-purp'ose electrical connector, comprising an elongated casing; a first contact means projecting axially from one end of said casing and apertured for attachment to an electric battery terminal and the like; an insulated lead connected within said casing to said first contact means and passing out of said casing; a second contact means mounted within said casing and resiliently projecting through the side of said casing adjacent the first contact; means insulating said contacts from one another; and a second insulated lead connected within said casing to the second contact means, and passing out of said casing.

2. A multi-purpose electrical connector, comprising an elongated tubular casing; a first contact means projecting axially from one end of said casing; an insulated lead connected within said casing to said first contact means and passing out of said casing; a second contact means mounted within and secured to said casing and having a portion extending resiliently through the side of said casing, said extending portion being formed to provide an opening the inside diameter of which is normally positioned outside of said casing and through which opening a battery terminal and the like may be received for at tachment to said second contact means: means insulating said contacts from one another; and a second insulasj lead within said casing to the second contact means and passing out of said casing.

3. A multi-purpose electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, and in addition comprising an aperturcd clip secured upon one of said insulated leads in contact with the wire of said lead, said apertured clip and said apertured first contact enabling the connector to be mounted upon the terminals of an electric battery to provide an energising circuit through a device connected to said leads.

4. A multi-purpose electrical connector as set forth in claim 2, and in addition comprising an apertured clip secured upon the first one of said insulated leads and in contact with the wire of said lead, said apertured clip and said first contact being apertured and enabling the connector to be mounted upon the terminals of an electric battery to provide an energising circuit through a device conmeted to said leads,

5. A multi-purpose electrical connector having a housing of insulating material and adapted to be received in a cigarette lighter socket of an automobile dash board, said housing having an elongate slot therein; a pair of electrical conducting wires extending from said housing; a spring member mounted in said housing and connected to one of said wires and having a loop intermediate its ends and having said loop portion normally urged out of said housing through said slot; a contact member at one t d of said housing and connected to the other of said wires; and an apertured clip secured in electrical contact with said last mentioned wire, the aperture in said clip and said loop being adapted to receive the terminal posts of a battery.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,282,383 Damon Oct. 22, 1918 2,236,435 Lockshin Mar. 25, 194i FOREIGN PATENTS 340,671 Great Britain Jan. 8, l93l 

